The Sleeping Prince
by BellaRyuu
Summary: Kagome's favorite childhood story comes true, but can she save the sleeping prince and free the world beyond the well? Rated M for later, SessxKag eventually.
1. Prologue

Greetings! I do not own Inuyasha! Enjoy the story ^_^

~~~~The Sleeping Prince~~~~

Prologue

"Many years ago, there was a well that held the entrance to a magical land very different from where we live today. It was said that only those chosen by fate could see the entrance to the other world. Only the truest of heart could enter the other land unscathed. Because the well was so tempting to many of our ancestors, it had to be hidden. For years it was a forbidden topic, until eventually stories were no longer told-"

"Then how do you know so much about it?" The young girl interrupted.

"Because, my child, there are always whispers. Rumors. Secrets to be told…passed down from generation to generation. No story ever completely dies out. There are those always willing to keep the story alive who are not foolish enough to spread the word throughout the land. Times have changed. Few today would be willing to accept that such a thing even exists. To most people, this story I am telling you is nothing more than a fairytale. Would you like me to finish the story?" The young man asked.

The girl nodded and cuddled closer to her father. She became engrossed in the details of the story, but as always her father's voice began to lull her to sleep. Dreams of a far off land where princes lived and warriors fought bravely were soon to follow. Smiling down at the sleeping child, the man extracted himself from her and quietly left the room. Down the hall, his wife waited patiently for him to join her.

"Bore her to sleep again?" She asked jokingly. He smiled and bent over to kiss her forehead.

"Works every time. Though I think this time she was really trying to stay awake." He laughed softly.

"Which story was it this time? Some silly story about when you were a child?" She asked.

"I told her about the well. About the mysterious other world said to exist just on the other side…"

"Ah. That was always one of my favorites. Who did you say told you that one? Your dad?"

"Yes. My dad passed it down to me. It seems to be one of those stories that gets kept in the family."

"And you trust a five year old to keep it in the family." The young woman joked.

"Who is she going to tell? Besides, she fell asleep less than halfway through the story."

"Did you get to the part about the lost prince?"

"Of course. Along with his brother, and the other princes- per her request." He winked.

"She sounds just like me. Wanting to believe in princes and far off lands." She yawned.

"It's all true you know."

"Yes, dear. I'm sure there exists such a well that could lead us to another world." She joked.

The man smiled. He truly believed in the story and he believed that his ancestors had believed. Why else would the story be kept for so long? It seemed like a fairy-tale sure. But many things in this world today seemed unbelievable. How would his ancestors react to the new inventions of the modern world? They would think that this world today was the fairytale. Anything is possible. He lay back in bed and turned to face the window. From his bedroom window he could see the mountain that housed the mysterious well. There were vines covering the entrance, but any other methods of hiding the entrance had disappeared over time. Signs had been placed around that side of the mountain, warning of possible rock slides to keep people from discovering the well. There were those reported missing, after becoming obsessed with the well. Others blamed their injuries on activity within the well. For such a fantastical thing to be so dangerous… And yet, the story was passed down for many years giving each new generation of the Higurashi family something to dream about.


	2. Priestess

I don't own Inuyasha! Hope you enjoy the story!

~~~~The Sleeping Prince~~~~~

Chapter 1

Ever since she was a little girl, Kagome Higurashi dreamed of nothing more than traveling to the land beyond the well and rescuing the mysterious prince. It wasn't until her father died that she began to really consider trying to go to the other world. Her mother was in a constant state of denial, believing that someday her husband would return. The fact that Kagome had not seen her father's death and her mother's belief that her husband would return led to fantasies about her father merely leaving to go to the other world like he'd always talked about. She began to visit the well daily, hoping for some sort of sign. On her sixteenth birthday, she went to peer behind the vines at the well entrance as she always did to imagine what it would be like if her father were to return from the other world to be with her again. It would be the perfect birthday present! Her hopes were found to be unrealistic. Nothing happened and nothing would ever happen. The well- despite the many fantastic stories- was just a well after all. Tears began to fall. She sobbed uncontrollably, finally accepting that her dad was gone forever.

A faint blue glow at deep within the well made her blink to clear the tears. She held her breath as she cautiously peered into the well, focusing on the blue light.

"That looks like the sky…" She muttered.

The blue light expanded, lighting up the well so that Kagome could see the well walls. There appeared to be gems of every color embedded in the walls. The young girl reached out to the light and felt herself falling. The journey made her dizzy, but once she adjusted Kagome realized she was simply sitting just inside the well entrance. _How did this happen?_ She asked herself. She stood and began to brush the vines aside. As she stepped outside she was amazed to see that she was standing in a completely different place. Kagome gasped and leaned back against the mountain. The signs were gone. She couldn't see her family's house. She was alone in the forest surrounded by shadows. _The other world… It does exist! I made it! _She jumped up excitedly and tried to decide what to do now that she'd gotten here. She looked down at herself. Faded jeans and a band t-shirt. Not exactly the right clothes for this sort of place, or for the journey ahead. Her sneakers were relatively new and good enough for long travels, but they weren't hiking boots. Of course, the first thing she needed to do was go back to her time and get more prepared. She quickly went back inside the well, but nothing happened. No light, no dizziness. Nothing. Frowning, Kagome decided that this could only mean one thing. Her trip here was a one way thing. She imagined her mother realizing that she was gone and felt as though she'd made a selfish mistake. Now her mother was all alone.

Kagome went back out into the mysterious world and tried to decide which way she should go. First of all, she would have to find some sort of shelter and maybe gather some information from the people who lived in this world. Closing her eyes, she trusted her instincts and headed into the woods. She could only hope that she was headed in the right direction and not into danger. Birds chirped and leaves rustled from time to time, but she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. As she neared the end of the forest, she noticed a small hut located near the end of a small village. There was an older woman sitting outside feeding seeds to the birds. Kagome neared the older woman, feeling her heart pound nervously at the thought of her first encounter with a person of this world.

"Be not afraid young lady. There be no demons here." The old lady said without looking up.

"Demons?" Kagome asked.

"You aren't from around here, are ya?" The old lady asked, looking up at Kagome.

"No… I…" Kagome couldn't think of the proper explanation.

"Came from the well, didja?" The old lady asked. She laughed when Kagome looked shocked.

"How did you…?" Kagome asked.

"Let's discuss it over dinner. By the way, name's Kaede. What's yours?" The lady asked.

"Kagome."

The two ladies went inside the hut and made small talk while Kaede finished the meal. Kaede seemed to know quite a bit about the well and about the sleeping prince. Kagome felt her heart flutter excitedly as she listened to the older woman tell her the stories she'd been told by her father. _If only dad could be here…_ She thought. She could imagine the knowing smile her father would have right about now. He had truly believed in a magical land on the other side of the well. His belief had been passed down to his daughter. She saddened at the realization that she would never see his smile again. Kagome questioned Kaede about others who might have come through the well before. There wasn't much to tell. The stories were as much of a fairytale to her as they were to Kagome. The two enjoyed their meal and prepared for bed.

"It has been so long since I've had anyone to share my home with. Please make yourself comfortable."

"Thank you. I… couldn't get back through the portal in the well. Is there something to that Kaede? Am I stuck here forever?" Kagome asked.

"I would imagine that is because of the curse. And because Naraku's corruption is attempting to take over the land." Kaede pondered.

"Naraku?"

"Aye. Naraku is a very powerful, very _evil_ demon. He has the powers of both a wizard and a demon. Ever since the death of Inutaisho… Naraku has been working hard to take over." Kaede said.

"Inu…?" Kagome asked. Kaede laughed.

"Inutaisho is the previous ruler of these lands. His eldest son was the one cursed." She explained.

"The sleeping prince! He has a younger brother?" Kagome asked. Kaede nodded.

"Yes, he has been fighting the corrupt demons for many years. The curse put upon his brother keeps him from ascending to the throne. For the eldest brother still lives and would therefore be the new leader. The powers that would be bestowed to the new king is withheld from the both of them…" Kaede frowned.

"Do you think the younger brother could defeat this Naraku guy?" Kagome asked.

"Sadly, the only one would that could defeat Naraku is under a horrible curse…" Kaede sighed.

"The younger prince… do you know where he is? Maybe he can help me save his brother." Kagome said hopefully.

"Inuyasha… he is not the kind of demon that would want to work alongside another. He prefers to be alone. He is a rude demon who does not trust anyone. I would suggest you stay away from him." Kaede warned.

Kagome sighed. It looked as though she would be on her own in this after all. The next morning Kaede gave the girl directions to the castle and advice about staying safe. She gave the young woman a staff with a huge dark blue gem embedded in the topmost part. There were words in a long forgotten language inscribed all over the staff. It was said to be a magic staff that would protect her from any demon.

"You just trust your instincts, child, and you'll have nothing to fear." Kaede assured her.

Kagome headed off, following the directions given to her by Kaede. She walked as far as she could before she began to grow tired. Trusting her instincts, Kagome found a nearby cave to provide shelter for the night ahead. _If only I had come to this land more prepared. I could have brought a sleeping bag, snacks… _She sighed and checked the cave for signs of danger. The cave was empty. As Kagome carefully placed her new staff against the cave wall she couldn't help but wonder if she would really have to use such a thing. As dangerous as this new land seemed to be, she had yet to come across any danger. It was almost as though she were all alone in this world. There was a small stream nearby, which Kagome had to drink from by cupping her hands together. A small animal ran towards her on the other side of the stream. She looked up, shocked at first to see the strange creature. It was obviously some sort of rabbit. The animal froze and looked up at her, accessing the danger. A long ear twitched and stood to attention, hearing something that the girl couldn't hear. Paying no mind to Kagome, the creature leapt over the stream and proceeded to run for it's life.

Kagome frowned and looked past the stream, trying to make her eyes see through the trees. The rabbit was running from something, but there appeared to be nothing chasing the small animal. Relieved, Kagome headed back to the cave. Her staff had fallen onto the ground. The quickened pace of her heartbeat warned her that the staff had not fallen on it's own. Something or someone had knocked it over. Reaching down to grab the staff, Kagome heard a small voice. She held tightly to the staff, praying that by some miracle she could make the magic work. Squinting into the darkness of the cave, she could just barely see that there was now someone crouched in there.

"Do you know how to use that?" The voice asked timidly.

"Yes, I know how to use it. Are you hiding from something?" Kagome asked.

"Shhhh. He's coming…"

"Who's co-"

"Shh!"

Kagome held the staff tightly prepared to defend herself against an unknown attacker. She could hear someone running towards her and her heartbeat sped up. With a deep breath she tried to steady herself so that when the time came, her aim would be true. A figure appeared just inside the forest. It was a man by the looks of it. He took a moment to sniff the air around him before setting his sights on the cave. The anger was plain on his face and Kagome held tight to the staff.

"Quick, kill him before he kills us!" The voice in the cave whispered.

The man began to run towards the cave. Kagome prayed harder than she'd ever prayed before. The words began to light up on the staff, but she had no time to admire it. Within seconds he would be upon them. He wasn't just a man, he was a demon. His clothing was strange, his appearance a bit off. More than that, he had an aura about him that warned Kagome of the potential danger.

"What the hell are you doing?! Your enemy is the one behind you, not me! Or are you sided with that… thing?" The demon yelled.

Kagome frowned out at the demon man in front of her. Behind her, there was hissing laughter. She screamed when the hidden person suddenly grabbed her from behind. The voice had led her to believe that the person hiding in the darkness was small, possibly a child. The hand that found her small throat proved that she was wrong. He was definitely not a small person. She could feel the strength in the huge hand and shuddered to think of how quickly the man behind her could damage her throat. Though of course, this was not simply a man either. Her hands moved quickly to the hand at her throat, attempting to free herself. She gasped at the scaly skin and began to struggle harder. She tried to look up and behind her to see the demon holding her. His face was shrouded in darkness. The other demon was glaring angrily past her, apparently able to see despite the darkness.

"I had hoped to see you purified! No such luck… this girl is a pathetic excuse for a priestess." The demon in the cave hissed.

"Counting on humans to fight your battles now? Talk about pathetic, you're worse than her." The man laughed.

"Useless and powerless as she is, her blood still hums with potential! And that blood shall soon be mine!" The demon in the well claimed.

Kagome struggled harder trying desperately to get away from the crazed demon. Were they only here to fight over her blood? _Why did he call me a priestess? What the hell is he talking about?_ Apparently the demons believed her blood to be powerful. _If only I actually had some sort of powers to escape this horrible creature…_ The demon man in front of her had gotten close enough that she could see him a bit better. He had long black hair that was tied back from a handsome face. He appeared to be wearing a mixture of fur and armor. Kagome's neck was suddenly stretched back at a painful angle. She could feel the other demon's breath upon her skin. Her eyes found the demon behind her and she gasped at the monstrous features. He was no doubt a snake demon. Long fangs showed as he opened his mouth.

The other demon rushed forward into the cave. Kagome looked to him, hoping he would save her. What were the chances that she run into not one, but two evil demons? The clawed hand at her throat managed to draw a small amount of blood. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. The smaller man seemed to hesitate. Kagome looked to him, pleadingly but his eyes took on a slight glaze. Panic began to set in and she feared that she would be eaten here by demons so far from home. A thin pronged tongue reached her neck and she shuddered in disgust. Fear was replaced by anger. _How dare these stupid demons try to eat me! _Was the last thing she remembered thinking.

"Get your nasty tongue away from me!" She screamed.

A bright blue and white light seemed to expel from the human girl and engulfed the demon holding her. His snake eyes widened in fear as his hand was evaporated and he was thrown backwards away from her. He looked down at where his hand used to be and shrieked. As he tried to enact his revenge on her, he burst into a cloud of light and dust. The girl collapsed to her knees, gasping for air. The other demon stared at the spot where his enemy once stood. _Talk about being purified…_He thought. His eyes found the human and he began to cautiously approach her. Angry human eyes met his, a silent warning between the two of them. He held up his hands to show that he meant her no harm. Her aura was so intense at the moment that he feared being purified by being too close to her.

"I guess this means you really are a priestess…" The demon laughed nervously.

"Don't think… I won't.. purify you too.. Just because you don't look so… demonic." Kagome said in between breaths. She rubbed her neck, still feeling the other demon's touch.

"Not that it really matters at this point, but I wasn't going to let him eat you…" The demon said.

"Oh yea? Don't like sharing, do ya?" Kagome accused.

The demon winced slightly. He looked over the human, looking for injuries. She seemed to be fine for the most part. It seemed as though the use of her purification powers had taken a toll on her. He imagined that being strangled didn't really help the situation much. She might not have the energy to use her powers again anytime soon. He looked to the cave exit, considering leaving before she could regain her strength and destroy him as well. Something held him back though. He turned his gaze to the young woman and noticed the bruising that had begun to appear on her throat. This human wasn't like any other human he'd come across, she was able to defend herself and she wasn't overcome by fear of demons. She seemed to be a lot stronger, more lively. To imagine her left here all alone in the dark…

"Look… it's obviously not safe for you to be out here alone. Where's your home? I'll help you get there." The demon offered.

"Home? There's no returning there until this Naraku guy is defeated. And everything was fine until you and your … friend showed up." Kagome accused.

"Friend?! That scaly bastard was a pain in my ass. Our families have been fighting for years…" The demon said.

"So enemy then. Does that mean the enemy of my enemy…" She coughed and fell silent.

The demon watched the human collapse onto the cave floor. He approached her cautiously, eyeing her strange clothing up close. Her smell was sweet and overwhelming. She looked up at him lazily. He tried his best to look harmless. Her dark hair spread out around her on the cave floor. He sat as close to her as he dared and met her eyes once more.

"You're right. Consider me a friend. You can count on me to protect you. So go ahead and go to sleep." He encouraged.

"I'm…. Kagome." She said sleepily. The demon smiled.

"Kagome, the priestess. It's a pleasure to meet you. I've never met a priestess before." He said.

"… and you?" She asked.

"Oh. Right. My name is Kouga." He said.

"That doesn't… sound like a demon name…" She said closing her eyes.

"Hmm. Well, I am in fact a wolf demon." He said softly.

Kouga watched over the young woman as she began to fall asleep. He found himself sighing from relief. The display of power earlier proved that though the girl was small she was fully capable of dealing with demons. He laughed softly to himself at the memory. Finally the horrible snake family was taken care of. The fighting had carried on for much too long. How would his family react if he told them that the last of the snake demons had been killed by a human? Kouga decided that he would protect this girl. She had to let him stay alongside her. She'd even mentioned Naraku, as though she planned to be involved in the battle with the man. Everyone knew that there was only one person who could defeat Naraku. Kouga sighed. The girl stirred in her sleep, seeking a more comfortable position. Her hand found the staff even in her sleep and she sort of cuddled up to it. Kouga smiled and leaned his back against the cave wall, preparing to stay up all night watching over the young priestess.


	3. Kouga

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha J

A/N: Thank you for the reviews and your patience!

~~~The Sleeping Prince~~~

Chapter 2

Kagome yawned and attempted to stretch out to relieve her sore muscles. Her eyes blinked a few times and she began to take in her surroundings. The cave was pretty well lit now that it was morning. The staff was within arm's reach. Sitting up Kagome tried to think back to last night, to all the things that had happened since she'd arrived at the cave. The demons didn't appear to be anywhere now. _Oh, right. I at least killed the snake guy…_ She remembered. As for the other demon…. She remembered talking to him before falling asleep. There were good demons and bad demons. The snake guy was definitely a bad one, but the other guy. _He said he was a wolf.. Right? _Kagome thought to herself. She tried to remember as much as she could about him. There wasn't much to remember. Her time with him had been brief.

"Oh! You're up! Are you hungry? You slept for quite a while there." A male voice said.

Kagome looked up to see the wolf demon standing at the entrance to the well. He was holding a few dead animals in one hand and he held them up for her to see. Kouga was dirty and a bit scratched up. Kagome stood and began to brush off the dirt from the cave floor. She wondered vaguely if she looked anywhere near as dirty as the demon. The sunlight brought out a bright blue in the demon's eyes. He threw her a toothy grin when he realized she was staring at him. She frowned and walked over to him.

"How do I know I can trust you?" She asked.

"Well.." He started off as he placed the animals on the ground and began to prepare a fire. "I haven't tried to eat you-"

"Yet." She interrupted. Kouga laughed.

"Right. Well I'm sure you can take care of yourself if it ever came down to it. Seeing another demon purified right before my eyes… Puts a damper on that." He joked.

Kagome sighed. She wasn't even sure she could do that again. She had never had any powers before. Maybe it was the dire situation she'd been in, fighting for her life. If she really did have such awesome powers, maybe it meant that she was meant to free the prince. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Kaede had told her that the well only allowed those that it found useful to come across. Which meant that she was at least a part of the team that would eventually bring down Naraku. The one to wake up the sleeping prince was to be a young woman of pure heart. A slow smile began to form on Kagome's lips as she stared down at her hands. This was like a dream, more than she could've hoped for. The young priestess was lost in thought as the demon cooked the animals he'd managed to track down this morning. Kouga managed to get a good look at the girl without her becoming aware of his eyes on her. She was rather pretty, for a human. The girl had long dark hair like himself but her skin color was a few shades lighter. Her eyes were huge for her small face. Warm brown eyes that revealed a lighter color when the sunlight hit them just right. The top she wore left her neck and shoulders all but bare. It looked as though it were painted on. Kouga quickly looked back to the food, not wanting to get caught staring at the young woman. She was no doubt incredibly young, despite the amount of maturity in her eyes.

When Kagome snapped out of her thoughts the demon was finished cooking and he carefully handed her a human's share. She thanked him and watched as he delicately ate his share. She expected him to tear at the meat like the demon he was, but she was pleasantly surprised to see that he appeared to have manners. When the two were finished with their meal they discussed plans for the day. It would take many days to even reach the abandoned castle where the sleeping prince lay hidden away. There would be countless demons between here and there and once Naraku got wind of their plans, the trip would become increasingly difficult. Kagome considered herself lucky to have made a friend of the young demon. As they began their journey towards the castle the two began to chat, at first about nothing important. Then Kagome confessed that she felt as though she was to be the one to awaken the prince.

"I can see that." Kouga told her thoughtfully. She smiled beautifully.

"I have to make my father proud. If it weren't for all of those stories he told me…" She said.

"I'm sure he'll be proud! You'll be pretty much a hero for freeing the prince." Kouga said.

"You sound so sure of me… My dad was the same way." Kagome said looking lost in memory.

Kouga noticed the tears in the young priestess's eyes. He could smell her sadness and was at a loss for what to do or say a this point. Kagome was the only human that he had ever really spent much time with and he wasn't sure how to comfort one. With his fellow wolf demons it was easy, whether it was a playful response to distract them from the sadness or a small comforting touch. He knew that the others were more touchy in their comforting, but he wasn't really surrounded by friends and family. Kouga had seen many humans cry. They were much weaker than demons and he pitied them. He expected the priestess to cry, but she simply smiled and looked more determined.

"I wonder if my mom will believe me when I return." Kagome laughed.

"Where is home for you anyway?" Kouga asked.

"Oh. Uh, well. It's a long story, kind of." She said glancing over at him.

The demon raised a brow at her, but didn't push it. They had traveled pretty far today and he decided it was time to make camp. He dutifully checked the surrounding area to make sure it was safe and began to make a fire. There was a light breeze, but it was nothing to the demon. He wasn't sure how easily the young woman got cold. They found a small lake near by and Kagome shyly asked if it would be alright for her to clean up. Kouga promised to stand guard and not watch the girl as she bathed. He found her shyness to be endearing and amusing. The sound of her bathing made him blush and then laugh at himself, wondering if her shy behavior was contagious.

"Where are you from, Kouga? Near by?" Kagome asked.

Kouga almost turned to look at the girl, but remembered that he was supposed to keep his back to her. Images of his friends and family clouded his mind for a moment. He wasn't sure how long he'd been gone. His father's angry face appeared and the other faces faded away. The sound of Kagome's voice brought him back to the present. She had called his name questioningly. The concern in her voice made Kouga smile. _What would father think of me now? Hanging out with a human…_ He stretched out his arms and looked up at the sky.

"Home isn't too far away I guess." He answered.

"Does your family know that you're out here? That you're planning to fight other demons- possibly even Naraku?" Kagome questioned. Kouga smiled.

"I'm sure they have a few people out here looking for me… so they can make me go back. So they can tell me how stupid I am for trying…" He frowned, remembering his father's words.

"They must care about you a lot to have people looking for you." Kagome's voice was closer.

"Pff. Caring isn't what I'd call it. As the only child, the only heir… They want me to stay out of this. But we wolves are no cowards. And whether I'm ready for the battle ahead or not I cannot sit by and hope that someone else is going to defeat Naraku. There is no way I could face my people as King without having at least attempted to free this land of evil." Kouga fumed. The girl gasped behind him.

"You… are a prince?" She asked.

Kouga smiled at the amazement in the girl's voice. He turned to face her and found that she had not gotten dressed yet. She stood holding her clothes, covering up very little. His anger faded as he took in the sight of her creamy skin, the delicate curves, the drops of water lingering. It took her a moment to realize that she was standing almost nude in front of him. By the time she began to blush the demon had already turned quickly away from her. She got dressed quickly, embarrassed. Kouga took a deep breath.

"Ahh.. Yea. I am the future king of the wolf demons." He answered.

"I've never met a prince before." Kagome said, amazed.

"You know…" Kouga said with a grin. "I'm going to need a future queen… You should be my woman."

"Even I know that a human can't be queen for demons." Kagome laughed.

They continued to joke around as they continued on their journey. Every ill-tempered demon they ran across was quickly taken down by Kouga. It was amazing to see him in action. He liked to toy around with the other demons, mocking them and teasing them. When Kagome asked him about this, he explained to her that he would much rather have a challenge and if he could really get the other demon angry the fight would be better. She was constantly in awe of him, but had to ask that he let her have a chance. What better way to improve her skill? Kouga had easily agreed to let the priestess have her share of fighting. She laughed off any mistakes she made and quickly corrected herself. Kouga admired her fast learning and lack of fear.

"You must fear nothing, Kagome! That boar demon was charging right at you but you stood your ground and concentrated on your aim. Nice shot by the way." Kouga grinned. Kagome blushed.

"To tell the truth, I saw how eager you were to pounce on him at any second. I know I shouldn't count on you to always protect me… but it helps…" She told him, embarrassed.

"We make a good team, Kagome. You're the same when I'm fighting, prepared to help if I need it."

"Which you never do." She said.

"Haha, you never know when we'll run into a demon that's actually worth fighting." He told her.

The two continued on, ready to face any demon that they might find. When they came across a small village Kouga was hesitant to enter, not wanting to deal with the humans. Kagome took his hand in hers and offered him a smile. After a short sigh, Kouga agreed to go into the village with her. It was late in the afternoon and not many people were outside. Those that were cast bored glances towards the pair of strangers. Kagome approached an older couple and asked a few questions about Naraku. There had been sightings of the demon minions, but no sign of the actual man.

"There are rumors, you know, that Inuyasha has been cursed by one of Naraku's highest ranking demons." The older woman said sadly.

"What? Is he…?" Kagome began, unable to finish the terrible thought.

"It is said that he runs wild, the evil curse bringing out the evil in himself." The woman answered.

"He terrorizes any village he comes across, now a weapon against us." The old man sounded defeated.

Kagome looked to Kouga, asking him with her eyes what this could mean. When the wolf demon's eyes met hers he fought to look hopeful. As strong a pair as they were, Inuyasha could prove to be a great asset in this battle. With Inuyasha on Naraku's side, it could only mean their downfall.


	4. Inuyasha

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha!

A/N: Thank you for the continued support, please be patient and forgive me for any errors. J

~~~~The Sleeping Prince~~~~

Chapter 3

The older couple offered to let Kagome and Kouga stay at their house for the night. After dinner was served the couple retreated to their room for the night to let the others discuss their plans. The two ate in silence, both thinking of what this news could mean for them. Kouga looked across the table and found that the priestess had a determined look on her face. She didn't look defeated at all. He marveled at the fact that she was more confident than he was in the face of such bad news. Human eyes met demon ones and the girl smiled.

"Okay. We are going to somehow save Inuyasha. He has to be nearby. We'll find him and… I don't know yet. But we'll save him." Kagome smiled.

"Right. We don't know what kind of curse was put on him, maybe there's a simple solution. Like removing an amulet or something." Kouga brightened.

"You know, I kind of expected you to tell me this was impossible." Kagome said.

"Won't know until we try." Kouga grinned.

The two finished their meal and found the spare bed mats that were laid out for them. Kagome found it hard to sleep, lost in thought about Inuyasha. She tried to remember anything that she could from her father's tales. The sleeping prince was said to have long hair like spun silver and eyes the color of gold. The younger brother would most likely share the same appearance. From what she was told by the first lady that she met in this world, Inuyasha was a force to be reckoned with. He needed to be saved, and brought back to the good guys- preferably to fight alongside Kagome and Kouga. Kagome smiled to herself and finally let herself fall asleep.

Kouga only needed a few hours of sleep. When he woke up he found that he appeared to be the only one awake in the town. With a sigh, he sat up to look over the young priestess. Kagome was once again cuddled up to her staff, a smile on her face. He only hoped that this was actually something that could be done. If there was no hope for Inuyasha, they were going to have to stop him one way or another. He couldn't be allowed to terrorize villages. Kagome rolled over, her hand slapping down onto Kouga's. He stared down at her hand in amazement, it was as though she knew of his thoughts and wished to stop them. Even in her sleep she kept him from being negative.

The gem atop the priestess's staff began to glow. It seemed as though the staff itself was humming. Worried that he might be accidentally purified, Kouga began to shake Kagome's shoulder. He called out her name and considered jumping up and running out of the house. Then he realized the girl had begun to whisper. He leaned close, careful of the blue light. Kagome jumped to a sitting position with a gasp. Kouga stared at the priestess, worried for her. Her eyes turned to his and her eyes had taken on a slightly blue glow.

"There's a strong demon headed our way. I think… I think it's him…" She gasped.

Kouga equipped his armor and got out of the priestess's way as she straightened her clothing and headed for the exit. The sun had just begun to rise, villagers coming out to begin their days. Kagome shouted warnings to them, but at the far end of the village screams could be heard. Kouga caught up to the priestess as she ran towards the screams. He urged the other villagers to get inside or leave the village. Kagome came to a halt at the end of the village. There were people lying on the ground crying and comforting one another but no one appeared to be hurt. The two looked around for the other demon but found no sign of him. Confused, Kouga went to the villagers on the ground to see if they were okay. Kagome stayed where she was, waiting.

"There you are." A voice hissed from atop one of the houses.

Kouga spun around to see who the voice belonged to. His eyes landed on the demon atop the house, then quickly down to Kagome. She was only twenty feet or so away from him, but he was going to be too late. The silver haired demon jumped down to where Kagome stood and grabbed the priestess, pulling her into his arms before leaping onto the next rooftop and out of sight. Stunned, Kouga jumped to his feet. He ran to go after the other demon only to realize that Kagome had dropped her staff. Her only weapon lay on the ground in front of him while she was taken by the other demon.

Kouga cautiously picked up the staff, and found that he was able to hold it without taking any damage. He followed Kagome's scent and ran as fast as possible hoping that he got there in time.

A/N: Short chapter. Keep the reviews coming!

~~BellaRyuu~~


	5. Save Me

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, never will.

A/N: This story just spills out of me. J The sad thing is, that I can't wait for her to meet Sesshy! It's so hard

~~~~The Sleeping Prince~~~~

Chapter 4

The silver haired demon carried Kagome for what seemed like miles, deep into the forest. He sat her down, once they were far away from the others. Kagome was surprised that he didn't throw her to the ground. She stared up at him in amazement. His hair was long and silvery white, just as it was supposed to be but his eyes were blood red. His irises were purple, his teeth were sharp and more fang than teeth. Jagged purple markings stood out along his pale cheekbones.

"Are you… Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, her eyes taking in his claws at the end of his fingers.

"Stop me…End this." The demon growled.

Kagome stood and approached the demon. She reached out to touch him, but he quickly stepped back. He closed his eyes angrily, unable to look at the priestess. Her eyes showed no sign of fear, instead she was concerned for him. He felt like an animal, he wanted to tear her apart. Kagome gasped as the demon angrily shoved her away from him. His red eyes flashed at her.

"What the hell are you doing? Kill me!" He yelled. Kagome stared at him.

"Kill you? Why would you want-"

"I felt your… power. I know you can. Just do it." He ground out.

"No. I'm here to save you, not-"

"Keh. You think-" He growled. He seemed to be fighting himself for a moment.

"Inuyasha?…"

"Don't! Don't talk to me like you know me… and don't come closer." He growled.

Kagome saddened at the pained expression on the demon's face. He was stronger than they thought. He was able to fight off the evil after all, it took a lot of strength but he was fighting it off. He was trying to get help. He wanted to be stopped. Kagome got to her feet cautiously and only just realized that she didn't have her staff. She almost laughed at herself. _No, the power is within me the staff is just a weapon. I can help him without hurting him._ She reasoned. The demon was growling angrily, looking away from her. Kagome turned her attention to where he was looking and smiled. Kouga came to a halt holding the staff. Inuyasha and Kagome were staring at him. The demon looked like he was considering murder and Kagome looked …. Happy.

"Kagome?" Kouga asked, uncertain.

Before Kagome could respond Inuyasha lunged at the wolf demon. Kouga managed to toss the staff to Kagome before he was attacked. Kagome caught the staff and watched with wide eyes as the two fought hand and foot. Kouga did more defensive fighting, keeping the other demon from getting too many blows in. He wasn't sure if he could keep fighting the powerful demon for long. Without warning Inuyasha turned from Kouga and headed to the priestess. His deadly claws were raised, ready to strike.

The gem began to glow upon the staff and Kagome tossed the weapon to the ground. Inuyasha was shocked by this and came to a halt in front of her. Her once calm and caring expression had turned angry.

"I will not kill you Inuyasha. I will find a way to save you." She promised.

"Stupid woman. You would die rather than kill." He growled.

"Wouldn't you?" She asked softly.

Kouga pounced on the other demon, knocking them to the ground. They continued to fight, the wolf demon fighting angrily. He couldn't believe Kagome was being so reckless. Couldn't she see how lost the other demon was? His eyes were blood red! Even if part of him wanted to be saved, there was no coming back from this. What if Kagome was really hurt in this stupid fight to save Inuyasha? Kouga growled and lashed out with his claws as hard as he could. He ripped into the other demon's clothing, smelling blood. Kagome was screaming at them now. She was begging them to stop. Inuyasha taunted the other demon. He bit into the other man's shoulder, hoping to make the demon fight for his life. Kouga growled and shoved the demon away. Before he could fight back, Inuyasha threw the wolf demon into a big tree. The tree was knocked down from the impact and Kouga fell on top of it.

Blood red eyes turned to Kagome. He carelessly wiped the blood from his mouth and ran at the priestess. She held her ground and made no move to retrieve her staff. Frustrated, Inuyasha wrapped a hand around the priestess's neck and glared into her eyes. Their faces were inches apart. He stared into her eyes that had begun to turn blue. She shocked him by smiling slowly, confidently. His hand released her, captivated by her stare he was unable to move. She moved closer to him and he took a step back. When he realized what he'd done he made himself take that step back towards her.

"Inuyasha…" She began. "I set you free."

His eyes widened in confusion as her face came closer. Kagome's eyes glowed an icy blue as she stared into his red eyes. Her lips touched his and she could feel his fangs. Inuyasha could feel her power spreading through his body from where her lips touched his. _This is it!_ He thought. He pulled her closer, urging her to continue. Her smell was so intense this close, like the sweetest flower and strawberries. Inuyasha tightened his hold on the priestess as he felt the darkness inside of him put up a fight. Kagome closed her eyes softly and pressed her lips against his with more force. When her eyes opened again she found that his eyes were no longer red, but normal with golden irises. His fangs had shrank back to their normal size. She tried to pull away but found that she couldn't get very far. She stared at him from a few inches away, still held in his grasp.

"Inuyasha?" She whispered.

He blinked down at her and finally let her go with an embarrassed expression on his face. He cleared his throat and licked his lips. When he realized he could taste her on his lips he looked away and swallowed hard. Kagome blushed and touched her own lips shyly as though she hadn't realized she had kissed the demon.

"Alright, you asshole! Get away from… Kagome?" Kouga stammered.

The wolf demon looked from demon to human and couldn't believe his eyes. There were both looking away from each other with a blush on each of their faces. Inuyasha's aura was different now, so clearly he was back to normal. The two looked at Kouga as though they had forgotten he was there. The wolf demon sighed and let himself fall to the ground. Kagome gasped and ran over to his side.

A/N: Thank you for reading!

Love, BellaRyuu


	6. The Scroll

Disclaimer: Still don't own Inuyasha!

A/N: Thank you for reading my story. I hope everyone is as excited as I am ^_^

Chapter 5

Rather than going back to the village they'd stayed at the night before, the trio headed to the next village over. They found it abandoned as though the villagers had left in a hurry. Kagome had an arm around Kouga, helping him make it to the village. His injuries were worse than Inuyasha's. The dog demon frowned at the wolf demon, uncomfortable with how close the two were. His jealousy only made him become more annoyed. He found an abandoned hut with medical supplies and lead the others inside. Once Kouga was safe on one of the cots, Kagome ran about gathering supplies to patch him up.

"Okay, do you need help getting out of your armor and stuff?" She asked.

"I think I can manage." Kouga smiled. He winced as he pulled the armor from his shoulders and Kagome helped him.

"I'm leaving." Inuyasha announced, heading for the door.

"No you're not." Kagome ordered. He stopped and stared at her, frowning.

"What the hell do you need me around for?" He asked.

"You're next. You're bleeding too, Inuyasha." She told him.

Inuyasha looked down at his bleeding abdomen then back up to the priestess. She was dressing the other demon's wounds as she talked.

"I'm fine. It's just a scratch." He ground out.

"Prove it." She said, finishing up with Kouga.

"What?" Inuyasha asked.

"Show me." She said, standing to walk over to him.

With a sigh of annoyance, he obliged and undid his top to show the wounds across his abdomen. Kagome grabbed her supplies and walked over to the demon. She met his eyes, daring him to tell her to stop. When he said nothing, she cleaned his wounds and began to dress them. Kouga watched the others in silence for a moment before deciding to speak up.

"So how did you break the curse, Kagome? Are you okay?" He asked.

"Uhh… I'm fine thanks." Kagome muttered after clearing her throat.

Kouga noticed that the two had begun to blush and avoid each others gaze again. He raised an eyebrow at this, but decided not to push it. Kagome finished bandaging the other demon's wounds and flashed a smile at him. There was an awkward moment in which Inuyasha tried to decide whether he should leave or not. He decided to fix his top and looked from human to demon. The two were an odd pair. It wasn't often that you saw a human running around with a demon. This was no ordinary human, he knew that. Clearly the girl was a priestess. One that could work magic just by… He fought not to get embarrassed again, thinking back to just how she had cured him. When he felt her power calling out to him he had no idea she could casually kiss him and set him free. This young human seemed so carefree and confident. She was staring at him, biting her lip. Inuyasha frowned and glanced quickly outside, considering retreat.

"We're headed to the castle to rescue your brother! Will you please join us?" Kagome blurted out, seeing that the demon was about to make a run for it.

"What? Who are you people?" Inuyasha frowned.

"I'm Kagome Higurashi and this is Kouga… the wolf demon." She smiled.

"Don't priestesses usually… Kill demons? What's up with you?" Inuyasha asked.

"If I went around killing every demon I came across… I would be evil." Kagome explained.

"Besides, everyone knows that it is a demon that will save this world." She added.

Inuyasha stared at the priestess in amazement. He had come across many priests and priestesses in his time, but never had he met one like this young girl. She must simply be naïve, assuming that everyone had good in them. He sighed and entered the hut to sit at the table. Kagome flashed a grin at him, taking this to mean that he would stay with them. Kouga let him self relax, smiling when Kagome decided to sit at the end of his cot.

"So what's the plan? Storm the castle and work your magic?" Inuyasha asked.

"Pretty much." Kagome grinned.

Inuyasha decided to go hunt them down some food and Kagome left Kouga to rest while she checked the village for signs of life. There was no one left in the village. Kagome sighed and attempted to tap into her spiritual power to check for danger. There was nothing, no good or evil for as far as she could search. Frowning, the priestess decided to look for a change of clothes. It would be awkward if the villagers suddenly returned and found that she was wearing their clothes, but it was awkward to remain in the same clothes for days.

Kagome found what appeared to be white leggings and a change of socks. Her eyes lit up when she found a short sky blue kimono. There were white crescent moons and small stars all over the kimono. It was beautiful and more fitting for a priestess. Kagome felt proud of her findings, the kimono matched her staff. Upon further inspection, Kagome found a white under shirt and a traveling bag. She packed a few extra clothing items into the bag and headed back to the others excitedly. After dinner, she was going to take a bath and change into her newfound clothes.

Kouga, bored with resting from his injuries decided to get up and inspect the village they had decided to rest at. He inhaled deeply, using his keen sense of smell. Although there were no humans to be found the smell of fear clung to the village. He could smell blood here and there, but there were no signs of gore to be found. Sensing that Kagome was making her way back to him, he returned to the hut so as not to worry the human.

After dinner, Kagome headed off in search of a place to take a bath and left the two demons alone together. Kouga waited until Kagome was far enough away to turn to the other demon. Inuyasha had smelled the blood and fear as well. He didn't know much about the priestess, but he knew that it was a good idea to keep this to themselves. She thought that the villagers had ran away, but it appeared as though they had all been killed.

"I know Naraku's scent when I smell it. He's definitely behind this." Inuyasha growled.

"But what would he want with this village?" Kouga asked.

"Hell if I know, let's split up while she's gone and see if we can find any clues."

Kagome grinned as she spotted a stream. It wasn't the best way to bath, but it was the cleanest water she was going to find. She sat the travel bag down and drank from the stream. After a cautious look around to make sure there was no one looking her way, she stripped down and used a cloth she had decided to use as a rag to clean herself. The sky was already beginning to darken, turning a mixture of orange and pink. The young priestess longed for shampoo and body wash. Without these things, her bath was cut short. She dried off and got dressed quickly, aware that she was out in the open. The kimono fit as though it were made for her. It fell to her mid-thigh and flared out only slightly at the bottom.

She returned to the others, looking more like she belonged in this world. The two demons stared at her, amazed that should looked even more beautiful. Kouga grinned and held up a scroll he'd found.

"We think that Naraku was here looking for something. And I think it's this."

"A scroll?" Kagome questioned.

"More like what's on the scroll." Inuyasha pointed out.

A/N: Thank you for the support. Please continue reading! ^_^

~~BellaRyuu~~


	7. Hidden

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

A/N: Sesshy is annoyed with me so he's going to have a chapter soon ^_^

~~The Sleeping Prince~~

Chapter 6

Kagome took the offered scroll from Kouga and looked it over. There was a sketch of what appeared to be an amulet. Warnings were all over the scroll, but Kagome found no further information on the amulet. She looked to the demons, wondering why they had come to their conclusion. Inuyasha knelt beside the priestess and pointed to the scroll.

"We tried to make sense of this, but it's as though there's something hidden."

"Like a hidden message?" Kagome asked.

"Exactly." Kouga grinned.

Kagome frowned at the scroll and willed it to tell her what ever secrets it was hiding from her. When nothing happened she laughed at herself and handed the scroll back to the wolf demon.

"Do you think the amulet is kept here somewhere?" She asked.

"Wherever it is, we need to find it before Naraku does." Kouga sighed.

Kagome stood and took hold of her staff. It felt good in her hands, as though it was meant to be there. _I'm about to feel really silly if this doesn't work. _She thought to herself. The two demons eyed her wearily as she closed her eyes and held the staff tightly. The blue gem glowed and began to hum. Kouga laid the scroll out in front of the priestess on the table and watched curiously. When the priestess opened her eyes again they too glowed with a blue light.

"The amulet… I see it. It was given to a young priest for protection." She told the others.

"And where is he?" Inuyasha asked impatiently.

Kagome frowned at the dog demon and Kouga frowned with her. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and tried to keep quiet. Kagome looked past the two demons as if she could see something that wasn't there. In her mind's eye the priest looked up, sensing her power and surprised her by looking right at her. She tried to ask him where he was, but found that they were unable to communicate. Frustrated, Kagome looked around for something that could help them find this place. There was a lake off to the side, and mountains in the distance. The priestess found that using her powers had made her a bit dizzy. She cut the connection with the priest and found herself in the arms of the silver haired demon. The wolf demon looked somehow both annoyed and concerned. Inuyasha sat the priestess upon the cot and waited for her to share information.

Kagome told the demons everything that she remembered and found that the day had begun to wear her out. She settled back on the cot and drifted off to sleep. Kouga stood and paced around the hut. If he was right, it sounded as though the priest lived near the mountains Kouga had grown up at. If Naraku was after the amulet, then he would no doubt be headed towards the priest. Naraku was not known for simply going after one thing, one person. He would destroy anything and everything in his path.

"What the hell is up with you?" Inuyasha inquired. Kouga glared at the other demon and looked pointedly to Kagome.

"I think I know where the priest is." Kouga said in a much quieter tone.

"What are we waiting on? Let's go!" Inuyasha urged.

"The priestess is clearly exhausted and we can't just leave her behind." Kouga argued.

"Fine. Tell me where the priest is and I'll go after him myself." Inuyasha growled.

"I can't stay behind while my pack could be in danger." Kouga growled.

"Your pack?"

"The priest isn't far from my home. I must go to them." Kouga responded, heading towards the exit.

"Wait a second, wolf. You're just gonna run off while I play babysitter?" Inuyasha asked. Kouga shrugged.

"She's going to need to rest and I have to go to my pack. I'll meet you guys at the lake house she described to us." Kouga said before running off into the night.

"Well, shit." Inuyasha grumbled as he headed back to the priestess's side.

The girl frowned in her sleep and Inuyasha imagined she would only frown more when she woke up. He wasn't sure how close the girl was to the wolf demon, but he had a feeling she wasn't going to like him leaving. The demon headed outside to do a little patrol work before coming back to rest at the priestess's side. She tossed and turned, mumbling in her sleep. Inuyasha watched the priestess, amused at the pout on her face. He sighed and allowed himself to get some rest. He didn't allow himself to drift off to sleep completely, not that he needed to sleep anyway.

Kagome's dreams were confusing to say the least. She felt that reality and dreams were getting mixed together. When she woke from her dreams she found that it was completely dark in the hut now. With strained eyes, she looked around for the others. Inuyasha leaned against the wall, appearing to guard the entrance. He looked more like he was asleep than anything. Kagome yawned and got more comfortable. _Where's Kouga? _She wondered as she drifted back to sleep.


	8. Snow

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

A/N: Ah Sesshy, have no fear- the time draws near. Thank you for reading.

~~The Sleeping Prince~~

Chapter 7

This world was unchanging, unmoving. The ground was buried beneath the snow that never seemed to stop falling. There was no sun, no rain, no wind. Just the constant fall of snow. Soft white flakes fell to land on the demon lord's long silvery white hair. It seemed as though they refused to melt, clinging to life so that they could rest on the demon's shoulder for as long as possible. Sesshoumaru turned his face upwards, to the ever present clouds. He longed to see the moon, the stars… Hell he wouldn't mind the glare of the sun. This world that he was trapped in could be described in one word only. Monotonous. For miles around there was nothing for the eye to see but the snow covered ground.

Sesshoumaru knew not how long he had been held captive here. The only thing he was sure of was that the goal of this white world was to drive him mad. The demon lord was known for keeping his cool, for holding any emotion he might have under check. He would not give his enemies the satisfaction of seeing how angry he was becoming. For all he knew, Naraku was able to watch him here in this monotonous world. Sesshoumaru scowled in distaste at the thought of the evil man watching him. The battle with Naraku's demons as they stormed the castle had proved to be an easy task. The demon lord dispatched the horde with little effort on his part. His trusted sword cut through any demon, his incredible strength behind the weapon a deadly combo.

Sesshoumaru had felt the stirrings of magic around him moments before he was thrown back against the far castle wall. Before he could free himself a black and silver spear seemed to appear out of thin air, coming straight for him. The spear cut through the demon lord's abdomen, stabbing into the wall behind him. Sesshoumaru gave nothing away to show that the weapon caused him pain. Even as the poison began to seep into the demon lord's bloodstream. He could feel himself becoming paralyzed. Naraku approached him slowly, a look of victory gleaming in his eyes.

"You mean to kill me using magic and poisons? You're not even a real demon. You are a coward." Sesshoumaru hissed.

"Kill you? Oh, I mean to do something far worse. But fear not, I'm sending you to a place where you'll fit right in." Naraku laughed.

Naraku approached the other demon and took the demonic sword from his unmoving hand. He looked over the weapon admiring it for a moment. Demons were thrown out of the way at the far end of the hall as the great demon king came to finish what had been started long ago. His red eyes took in the sight of his eldest son, pinned to the wall. The young demon's eyes had taken over a glaze of death. Overcome with rage, the demon king ran towards Naraku with his sword held high. Demons flooded into the hallway, attacking the king from every side. Naraku glanced back at Sesshoumaru, knowing that he could still see everything. While the demon king was overpowered, Naraku shifted into demon form and charged into the fight. As a giant spider demon, he used his poison fangs on the king again and again.

Sesshoumaru could feel the demon inside him begging to be released but he was incapable of shifting. His blood was boiling with rage and the need to shift. He felt his father's aura fading. Naraku turned from the demon king and shifted back to his human appearance.

"Make it slow, this one's not ready yet." Naraku smirked.

He approached Sesshoumaru, reaching into his robes to pull out a vial.

"Just in case." Naraku hissed as he pried the demon lord's mouth open.

Sesshoumaru could barely feel the liquid that was forced inside his mouth. Naraku smeared the remaining poison across the demon's lips as he forced the other demon's mouth shut once more. A look into Sesshoumaru's unresponsive eyes told Naraku that his work was done with this one. Raising Sesshoumaru's sword Naraku struck out at the demon's surrounding the king. His demonic aura paired with the sword tore the other demons apart. The king's aura was wiped out with no need for a second swing of the sword. Naraku stared at the sword in amazement and decided that he would keep it as a souvenir.

Sesshoumaru relived the fight again and again. There was nothing to do but think back to those last moments. Not only had he been bested by Naraku, his father had been beaten as well. Inutaisho was the strongest demon in the world, the ruler of all the land. And he had been defeated. It was clear to Sesshoumaru why Naraku had waited to kill the king. If he had simply killed the king first, all of the king's power would have been transferred to Sesshoumaru. He was already a powerful demon, the addition of his father's power would make him unstoppable. Leaving Sesshoumaru alive made no sense. Naraku could have simply killed the two sons, then killed the father. Apparently death was too much of a gift in Naraku's eyes. He wanted to see his enemies suffer.

_What does this mean for Inuyasha?_ Sesshoumaru wondered. Had Inuyasha been cursed as well? Or had Naraku killed him too? These thoughts were so frustrating. It was all he could do anymore. Think. And wander around in this world of snow. He refused to believe there was no way out. No matter how long he walked, no matter how pointless it seemed, he continued walking. The snow continued to fall, the world continued to be silent and Sesshoumaru… could sense something in the distance. This world that held no other signs of life. The demon lord attempted to keep his emotions under control. The last thing he wanted was to be fooled into having hope. Instead of running towards whatever it was that he felt, he made himself walk slowly.

A/N: So here we are, so close to bringing the two together… Please continue to read. ^_^

Love

~~~BellaRyuu~~~


	9. Half-demon

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

A/N: For fun, I'm going to point something out. I'm sure you guys noticed the whole "Sesshoumaru gets pinned to the wall by a spear vs. Inuyasha pinned to a tree by an arrow" thing. I apologize for making you guys wait. Enjoy the story.

~~The Sleeping Prince~~

Chapter 8

Kagome woke up alone and confused. It took her a couple minutes to remember that she was in the world beyond the well. She had dreamed of home, of her mother. Like so many other nights, she dreamed of her father- of the stories he had told her when she was a child. She wanted to remember more about the story of the sleeping prince. There was a chance that something in the story could help her out here. The only thing she knew for certain was that a kiss could really break a curse. It had worked on Inuyasha, so surely it would work on the other brother as well.

Kagome had always dreamed that she would be the one to awaken the prince, and having done so they would live happily ever after. How foolish she felt now. A kiss wasn't something romantic in this situation. For whatever reason, it was only a way to break curses. Not only that, but there was no way that she could abandon her mother to stay in this place. Once the prince was freed, and the world was returned to it's peaceful self she would return home. Alone. The prince would stay here to rule the land as his father had before him of course. As for Kouga and Inuyasha, surely they would be rewarded for helping to save this world and it's ruler. Kouga could return to his family- victorious- and they would be proud of him. He would find a nice female wolf demon and have a family. She thought of his grin and shook herself from her thoughts.

"Kouga? Inuyasha?" Kagome called.

"Oh, you're awake." Inuyasha answered, entering the hut.

"Yea, I thought you guys had left me." Kagome confessed, getting up to straighten her clothing.

"Well _I _haven't left you." Inuyasha frowned.

"What do you mean? Kouga… left?" She asked. Inuyasha nodded, watching the emotions play across her face.

"He went back to his pack, or whatever." He assured her. Kagome frowned, confused.

"He said he'd meet us there, at the lake. The priest apparently lives close to where Kouga grew up." Inuyasha explained.

"Oh… Well we should get going then." Kagome shrugged.

Kagome reached for the travel bag but Inuyasha grabbed it first. Tossing the bag over his shoulder, the demon strolled out of the hut. Kagome raised an eyebrow at him, but let him carry the bag. Holding her staff lightly at her side, Kagome followed the dog demon into the sunlight. Kagome couldn't help worrying about Kouga, but she tried to push it to the back of her mind. He was a strong demon and didn't need her worrying about him. Inuyasha was frowning at her again. With a small laugh Kagome grinned at him and gestured for him to lead the way. The dog demon sniffed the air and followed the faint scent the wolf demon had left behind. Kagome tried to avoid all the questions she wanted to ask, but it seemed as though her silent staring was annoying the demon more than anything.

"What?" He growled.

"Nothing… Well, do all dog demons have ears like that?" Kagome asked, staring at his dog ears atop his head. Inuyasha looked away.

"My mother wasn't a demon. For whatever reason, I look like this because I'm a half-breed." Inuyasha spat out.

"Oh… She was a human, then? Half-breed sounds like a bad word. You know… like racist or something." Kagome said innocently.

"Feh. What would you call it?" Inuyasha asked with a roll of his eyes.

"Hmm, ah. The best of both worlds. You are a… hybrid!" She exclaimed.

Inuyasha stopped walking and simply stared at her. He would have accused her of being stupid and trying to hard to be nice but he could see that she meant it. He frowned at her as she continued walking. When Kagome noticed that Inuyasha had stopped walking she stopped and turned back to face him with a smile. Her smile faltered and she bit her lip in worry. Had she said the wrong thing and upset him? He cleared his throat and looked away from her before continuing to walk past her.

"Stupid human." He grumbled insincerely. Kagome smiled and walked alongside him.

"Mmm, human. So tasty. Me tasssste." Came a voice from the trees.

"Get yer own human!" Inuyasha yelled to the demon. Kagome slapped him.

"Inuyasha!" She gasped.

"What?" He frowned. With a sigh, he took the travel bag from his shoulder and tossed it to the ground. He drew a sword from his side and Kagome's eyes widened. She hadn't even noticed that the demon was carrying a weapon. _Very observant, Kagome. _

"Alright, come it get it ugly." Inuyasha sounded bored.

"I will have the human." The demon hissed, jumping to land in front of Kagome. Inuyasha stepped in front of the priestess, blocking her from view.

"Look, ugly, you're messing with the wrong damn human." With that Inuyasha swung his sword, sending the demon flying. The lizard demon clutched it's wounded abdomen and stared in shock as he coughed up blood. Kagome's eyes widened as the demon fell over, dead.

"Oh wow. Not much of a demon, was he?" She asked. Inuyasha shrugged.

"I shouldn't have used my sword. Could've used a bit of a fight." He said as he sheathed his weapon.

"Speaking of fights, how was Kouga when he left? He was pretty hurt." She said.

"Keh. Stupid wolf demon isn't as weak as you think. He'll be fine." Inuyasha told her.

"He's not stupid or weak." Kagome defended. "I'm just glad you didn't use your sword on him."

She looked back at the dead lizard demon one last time before continuing on. Inuyasha threw the travel bag back over his shoulder and rolled his eyes. His ears perked up when he heard Kagome whispering something. She appeared to be whispering a prayer for the other demon's safety. When Kagome noticed she was being watched by Inuyasha- who was wearing a strange expression- she smiled.

"I think I'll keep my prayer for you to myself." She joked. Inuyasha frowned, embarrassed at being caught eavesdropping on her prayers.

"I don't need any prayers." He said.

Kagome's only response was a smile, which Inuyasha chose to ignore.

A/N: : Hope you liked it! I wasn't sure if I was going to have Inuyasha be a half-demon in my story, but I had to. The next chapter is probably gonna be long. ^_^


	10. Miroku

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

A/N: Thank you to everyone for reading my story. Your reviews mean a lot to me and I'm so happy that my story is being followed ^_^

~~The Sleeping Prince~~

Chapter 9

Kagome gasped at the sight before her. The mountains seemed to appear out of the fog in the distance. Inuyasha stopped beside the priestess, wiping his sword off on a nearby tree. He had fought off all the demons, not giving her a chance to join in. No matter how many demons he fought or how tough the fight, he was determined to do all the fighting alone. Kagome looked around for the house beside the lake. The fog was still heavy over and around the lake. When she spotted the house she ran for it, excited to meet the priest. His eyes had seemed so kind. Inuyasha frowned at the priestess for her carelessness. He followed her at his own pace. The girl looked over her shoulder at him with a smile and disappeared into the fog.

"What the-?!" Inuyasha gasped. He ran towards where the girl had disappeared but she was nowhere to be found. There was a lake, but no house like there was supposed to be and no Kagome.

"Inuyasha? What's going on?" Kagome asked.

"I've placed a protective barrier around this small village. It keeps demons out and acts as a deception filter. He can't see us." The priest explained. Kagome turned to the priest.

"Inuyasha is a good demon, though. Oh look. He's so worried." Kagome pouted.

"I can let him in, but only on one condition. That is if you take sole responsibility for him. Can you do that?" The priest asked.

"Yes. If he causes any trouble-" Kagome began. The priest smiled and nodded.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted. He stopped and frowned at the light that surrounded him. There was a burning sensation around his neck and suddenly he could see Kagome. She stood by a brunette male in priest attire. Kagome smiled when she realized Inuyasha could see them. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of the markings around the demon's neck. She looked from him to the priest. He shrugged.

"It's the only way." He answered her.

"What the hell is going on?" Inuyasha inquired.

"The only way you can enter my barrier, demon, is if the priestess is in charge of you. The markings on your neck mark you as her responsibility. Her aura is etched into your skin." The priest explained. Inuyasha touched his neck.

"It's just while we're inside the barrier, right?" Kagome asked. The priest shook his head.

"If you wish to remove the markings, you'll have to do it yourself. But I would wait until you're outside of the barrier to try. Otherwise your friend will be instantly purified." The priest explained.

"Sorry, Inuyasha." Kagome apologized. The demon frowned harder.

"Now, my name's Miroku. How exactly can I help you?" The priest asked.

"We're here about the amulet." Kagome smiled. She pulled out the scroll and showed it to the priest. He took the scroll and looked around.

"How about we continue this conversation over dinner?" He asked.

Miroku led the way to his house, Kagome and Inuyasha following. Kagome kept giving the demon apologetic looks, which he ignored as much as he could. Once inside Miroku gestured for the other two to take their seats at his kitchen table while he finished preparing dinner. Kagome stared across the table at the dog demon.

"Stop staring at me." Inuyasha growled.

"I didn't know this was going to happen." She pouted.

"Don't worry about it. It's like the priest said, it's not like it's permanent or anything." He told her.

Miroku avoided looking at his visitors, giving them a moment of privacy. Kagome sighed, feeling a bit better knowing that Inuyasha didn't blame her for what had been done to him. Miroku served dinner and sat with his guests. Kagome told Miroku about how she had come through the well, she told him about rescuing Inuyasha and about the demons they'd fought. She explained that Kouga would be joining them, so he would know to expect the other demon. At the mention of the wolf demon, the priest looked strangely guilty. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the priest.

"You've seen him already." He accused. Miroku cleared his throat.

"Ah, yes. About that. Priestess, if you'll accompany me." Miroku said.

"What's going on?" Kagome asked.

"Well, you see… The wolf demon charged through here, headed to the sacred lake and the others were frightened." He explained, heading outside.

"What did you do to him?" Kagome asked, her tone panicked.

"Now, now. The demon is alright. Just… subdued."

Miroku led the priestess to the barn behind his house. Kagome ran inside the barn. Kouga was chained up in one of the stalls. His demonic energy was all but faded away, leaving him as weak as a human. The chains used to hold him were clearly powerful and enhanced by the priest. Kagome ran to the wolf demon's side while Inuyasha stayed back, staring down at the other demon. That could have easily happened to him. The priest was indeed powerful, and dangerous. Kouga looked up at Kagome and tried to smile.

"He's injured. You're keeping his demonic energy from healing him." Kagome frowned. The priest nodded.

"I had to protect the others. Unfortunately, the spell cast upon your other friend can only be cast on one demon. If we set the wolf demon free within the barrier-"

"No." Kagome interrupted. "This is too much. You hurt my friend. You could have killed him…"

"Exactly. But I spared his life-"

"You took his powers away. His healing. You chained him up and let him bleed. You-" Kagome's eyes began to glow with a blue light. Inuyasha's eyes widened.

"Kagome…" He started.

"Your barrier… is getting on my nerves." Kagome whispered. Miroku stared at the priestess in shock. He felt his barrier fall apart.

"No! What are you doing? You'll let the demons in." Miroku panicked.

"Good thing you have us then. While we're here, there will be no barrier. If any bad demons come this way, we'll take care of them. Now unchain my friend." Kagome said.

"How do you know they are good? Worth protecting?" Miroku demanded.

"Because I feel it. Now…" She gestured towards Kouga.

The priest knelt in front of the wolf demon and undid his chains. Kouga rubbed his aching joints and sighed. Kagome smiled and sat beside him.

"How's your family?" She asked. Kouga laughed and leaned against Kagome's shoulder, exhausted. Inuyasha frowned at the priest as he passed him and joined the others on the barn floor. He sat on Kagome's other side, waiting for her to turn her attention to him. He thought that maybe she could remove the markings from his neck, but he didn't want to bother her. It wasn't a big deal anyway.

"Everyone's okay, Naraku hasn't been by that way." Kouga answered.

"That's good." Kagome said.

Miroku stared in amazement at the three sitting on his barn floor. The young priestess was completely comfortable with the two demons. Kagome took the wolf demon's hand in hers and closed her eyes. She whispered a prayer of healing and hoped that it would work. With a sigh, Miroku sat on Kouga's other side and offered his hand. Kouga stared at the priest skeptically, but Kagome opened her eyes and nodded to him. Feeling awkward, Kouga took the priest's hand. With a smile, Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's hand as well. He stared at her in surprise but she only smiled wider and closed her eyes. Priest and priestess chanted together words of healing. When they were finished, Miroku released the demon's hand and stood.

"My apologies, Kagome. I see now what it is you see in them. Please stay the night at my place and we'll discuss the amulet in the morning." Miroku said.

"Thank you, Miroku." Kagome tried to stand, but found she was exhausted.

"I'll take patrol duty. Wolf." Inuyasha gave the other demon a pointed glance.

Kouga helped Kagome to her feet. He was feeling like his normal self now. Miroku led the other's into his house and showed them to his extra room. Kagome took the bed and Kouga sat guarding the only entrance. Miroku agreed to go tell the others in the village about the demon guests and took Inuyasha with him. Inuyasha promised to patrol and keep the other demons out for their stay at the priest's home. The villagers trusted the priest and went about their business. Kagome fell asleep shortly after her head touched the pillow while her friends stayed awake to protect the village.

Kagome dreamed of snow. She danced around, holding her arms out to the sky. It never snowed this much at home. Strangely it didn't even feel cold here. The snow fell straight down from the sky, no wind to blow it in one direction or the other. With that thought, Kagome looked to the sky. Endless clouds covered the sky so that everything was either white or whitish gray. She could feel a demonic aura coming towards her, but she couldn't see anything but the snow. Unable to decide whether she should go towards the demon or run away she stood her ground. What if one of her demon friends were out in the snow looking for her? She tried to focus on the demonic aura. It didn't feel particularly angry or malevolent. It was however, getting closer.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Keep the reviews coming and I'll keep the story coming ^_~

~~BellaRyuu~~


	11. Hope

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

A/N: I hope you're enjoying the story. Sorry if it takes me a while to update!

~~The Sleeping Prince~~

Chapter 10

Sesshoumaru touched the wound again, forever amazed at the sight of blood upon his fingertips. The wound from the black spear never stopped bleeding. It bled for years and still Sesshoumaru lived. Or he was pretty certain he lived, for all he knew this could be some form of hell. It certainly felt like it. The wound was a cause for annoyance. It was a reminder that Naraku had been able to wound him. The pathetic excuse for a demon had managed to kill the demon king and wound the heir to the throne. As for Inuyasha, he had to be dead. Or enslaved. Rage was burning inside of the demon lord. It had burned inside of him from the moment Naraku dared to attack the castle. Everyone had been so confident, so sure that there was no way Naraku could hope to defeat them.

When the other dog demons were found dead, the demon king knew that Naraku was behind it. Naraku vowed to kill every last dog demon in existence. The dog demons had laughed at the threat, joking that even the weakest of dog demons could defeat Naraku. If only Sesshoumaru had known that he would soon be one of three remaining dog demons he would have killed his own father to gain the power to destroy Naraku. Now he was quite possibly the last of his kind. Women, children- entire families had been slain. And Sesshoumaru's response had been to call them all weak. He was ashamed that his people had been so easily destroyed.

Now he felt foolish for ever believing his father was the most powerful demon in the world. It was so like a child to believe his father was the strongest demon. Sesshoumaru scowled in distaste. His father had shown mercy to the pathetic demon. When Naraku first showed his true evil, Inutaisho had taught him a lesson but he did not kill him. He didn't kill the other demon for killing his human wife. Naraku murdered Inuyasha's mother because she refused him. Inutaisho defeated Naraku in front of countless other demons, but chose to spare his life. Embarrassed, the evil demon chose to focus on magic so that one day he could defeat the demon king. He swore that he would show them all, he would kill all dog demons for thinking that they were so superior.

"Why do you let the spider demon live?" Sesshoumaru demanded to know.

"Naraku is the last of his kind. To kill him would be to kill an entire race." Inutaisho responded.

Instead, the entire race of dog demons had been killed. Sesshoumaru stared in ahead in amazement, his thoughts of the past momentarily forgotten. In this world of snow where he was doomed to live alone, there was suddenly a young girl running around dancing in the snow. The girl held her arms out and spun around in circles, her face tilted upwards to the clouded sky. She was smiling, giggling even. Sesshoumaru stared in disbelief. He didn't want to tear his eyes away from her, afraid that she would disappear if he took his eyes off her. He made himself look away, to scan the surroundings. Was Naraku messing with him? Sesshoumaru found nothing suspicious. Just the girl.

The strange girl had long raven hair that had begun to collect snowflakes. She wore a short blue kimono dress. Though the dress was short, the girl didn't appear to be cold. Sesshoumaru found himself drawn towards the girl. He wanted to question her, to understand how this was happening after so many years. The girl didn't seem to notice him when he approached her.

"Girl. Who are you? Where did you come from? Can you not hear me?"

Sesshoumaru cursed. Surely this was just some other form of torture. He stood mere feet away from the girl and she still couldn't see him. The girl was clearly human, even if she didn't look like any human he'd seen before. He remembered humans being pathetic and dirty. This girl seemed to radiate confidence. She glowed. Sesshoumaru continued to stare at the girl, taking in the moon and star pattern on her clothes. Could it be that she was some celestial maiden? The girl stopped dancing and stood facing the demon lord. Her face had become serious. Though she was looking right at him, she clearly couldn't see him. Instead she looked through him like he wasn't there at all.

"Hello? Is someone there?" She called out.

"At least you can feel my presence you pathetic human." Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes.

"Inuyasha? Is that you?" The girl ran through the demon lord, past him. Calling out for Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru frowned.

He actually turned around and watched the girl running through the snow. There was no sign of his brother. This girl knew Inuyasha. Why was she here? This girl that knew Inuyasha… was she some sort of sign that his younger brother lived? The girl tripped and fell into the snow. Without thinking of his actions, Sesshoumaru went after the girl. He knelt where the girl had fallen, but there was no sign of her in the snow. A glance around proved that the girl had vanished from this world. The feeling of loss surprised and annoyed him. Of course she had only been sent here to assure him that his brother lived on. With the girl gone the silence was suffocating. He thought of the sound of her laughter and wondered if he would ever be free of this place. As he walked through the snow, he realized that he now had something else to keep his mind busy. He closed his eyes and tried to conjure up the memory of the dancing girl. After so many years alone in this place, why had she appeared to him now?

a/n: Thank you for reading, apologies again for the long wait. Please continue to read.


	12. amulet

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the characters.

a/n: sorry for the long wait. I'll try to make up for it.

~~The Sleeping Prince~~

Chapter 11

"Kagome? Kagome!"

Her eyes blinked open in confusion. Inuyasha loomed over her, too close. He looked both worried and annoyed. Kagome frowned up at the dog demon and pushed him away so she could sit up. She looked around, taking in her surroundings. It took her a moment to remember where they were. Everything looked fine, so why was Inuyasha waking her up with that look on his face? Her eyes landed on Kouga and she looked at him questioningly.

"You were having a nightmare or something." Inuyasha grumbled.

"Yea, calling out for _him._." Kouga frowned, looking pointedly at Inuyasha.

Kagome looked from one demon to the other. She rubbed her eyes and tried to force herself to wake up more. Clearly she was imagining the jealousy in Kouga's eyes. As for Inuyasha, there was no way he'd just blushed. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it.

"It was just a dream." She assured the demons.

"Is Miroku up yet?" Kagome asked, getting up and stretching.

"He's outside, waiting for you to wake up." Kouga informed her.

Kagome yawned and followed the two demons outside to meet with the priest. Miroku stood by the lake looking down into the dark water.

"Good morning." Kagome greeted sleepily. Mirkoku turned to smile at her.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" He asked.

"Well enough. Though apparently I had a nightmare." She shrugged. Miroku looked to the demons knowingly.

"Ah, so that was the reason these two ran off." He said. The two demons frowned and avoided eye contact. Miroku raised his eyebrows in curiosity.

"So, about the amulet…." Kagome urged the priest.

"Right. The amulet lies beneath the lake. It binds itself with the wearer, so be warned. It is very powerful and impossible to remove. Only a powerful priest or priestess can remove the amulet and only when the previous wearer is dead." Miroku explained.

"So the amulet is on some dead priest down there?" Inuyasha asked. Miroku smiled and nodded.

"The amulet was put in my care, it was not meant for me. I have no desire for such a thing. To wear such a thing, would mean to be pursued by others who would kill to own it. However, I'm sure young Kagome here is quite protected." Miroku told them.

"Even if she is protected, is it really worth putting her in more danger?" Kouga asked. He looked to Kagome, concerned.

"I'll be fine, Kouga. The amulet is meant for me. I feel it." She assured him.

Kagome stepped forward, into the water. Inuyasha grabbed her arm, stopping her. He met her eyes and searched for signs of fear or uncertainty. Her eyes showed only determination.

"I'll go with you." He told her. Kagome smiled and nodded.

"I'll stay here and keep watch then." Kouga offered. Kagome reached out to him, touching his shoulder.

"We'll be back as soon as we find the amulet." She assured him. He put his hand on hers.

"If you're not back soon enough, I'm coming in after you." He tried to sound teasing, but he meant it.

Kagome flashed a smile at him and stepped away from him, going further into the lake. Inuyasha followed behind the priestess, amazed at how quickly she could swim. Kagome could feel the amulet calling out to her. It wanted to be found. There was a chest at the bottom of the lake. Kagome struggled to open it, but was unable to. Inuyasha shook her shoulder to get her attention and pointed to himself. Understanding what the demon was suggesting, Kagome moved out of the way.

The dog demon made it look so easy to open the chest. Kagome's chest was beginning to hurt, begging for air. She ignored the pain and pressed forward. There was a skeleton within the chest, around it's neck was the amulet. The priestess reached forward, wrapping her hand around the amulet. As soon as the necklace was pulled off the skeleton it flew to wrap itself around Kagome's neck. Unable to stop herself, Kagome gasped. Inuyasha quickly took the priestess in his arms and rushed to the surface. Once above water Kagome coughed up water and gasped for air. Inuyasha carried her to land where they both collapsed beside the others.

"That was quick." Mirkoku said in amazement.

"Is she ok? Kagome?" Kouga asked.

"I'm fine." Kagome coughed some more. Inuyasha patted her back.

"Let's get you inside and dried off." Miroku suggested.

Kagome nodded. With the help of the two demons, Kagome went inside where she requested to be alone to change into dry clothes. Kouga and Inuyasha waited just outside her door. Kagome touched her hand to her chest, feeling the amulet that seemed to be burning itself into her flesh.


	13. Dreams

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

a/n: Thank you for reading. Please continue your support.

~~The Sleeping Prince~~

Chapter 12

Kagome tossed and turned in her sleep. Inuyasha watched her, his eyes going to the amulet that had embedded itself in her flesh. Every now and then her hand would find it's way up to touch the amulet. When he had first noticed the amulet was digging into her skin, he had been horrified. According to Miroku, there was no way to remove the amulet while the wearer still lived. Kouga had been the one to ask if Kagome was okay. Her response had been to smile and assure them that everything was fine. The wolf lay a couple feet away, deep asleep. The group had traveled all day until they felt they had no choice but to rest. Miroku had decided to join the group. Inuyasha eyed the priest for a moment, frowning at the soft snoring.

Kagome found herself wandering around in the world of snow again. _This place again? _Kagome looked around. She stood alone in a sea of snow. Her chest felt like it was on fire. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something move. When she turned, there was nothing but snow. Frowning, she walked towards something she could no longer see. Kagome stopped. Her heart was pounding. She could feel the power surging through her body, it was as though her entire body was on fire. She was burning up inside, her body was going to explode! Kagome took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She tried to concentrate on calming her heartbeat. Blue flames were engulfing her, licking across her flesh. It was warm, empowering.

The priestess gasped and sat up straight. Inuyasha jumped in surprise, eyes wide. The young girl turned to face him, her eyes were aglow with blue light. Inuyasha couldn't look away, he didn't want to. He walked over to kneel in front of the girl. He reached a hand out to touch her.

"NO! Inuyasha, get away from her!" Miroku yelled. The priest got up as quickly as he could and ran over to the others. Kouga was awakened by the yelling and frowned in confusion. When he saw Kagome's power flaring he jumped up and helped Miroku pull the dog demon away.

"What the hell? Get off me." Inuyasha growled, snapping out of it.

"Look at her. She would have purified you. The power is too strong." Miroku explained. Inuyasha stared at the priestess. His eyes widened.

"Is she still asleep?" Kouga asked.

"I think the power from the amulet just finished merging. Stay away from her for now." Miroku advised.

Kagome blinked a few times and looked around in confusion at the others.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Are you okay?" Miroku questioned.

"Yea, why? What happened?"

Miroku laughed and the others relaxed. The group continued their trip to the castle, determined to get there as soon as possible. Every now and then a demon would try to attack them along the way. Kagome insisted the others let her try out her new powers against the demons. The others were impressed. Even though Kagome was a powerful and capable priestess, the demons continued to watch over her protectively. Every night when the group settled down to rest, Kagome dreamed of the snow world. It seemed as though the dreams had gotten stronger. She began to think the dreams were trying to tell her something.

Lately, the she could see a shadow figure in the dreams.

Kagome looked around the camp for the others but it appeared as thought she was alone in the forest. She knew this would not last for long. The others would be close by, as always. For the time being she was alone, able to reflect upon her dreams in peace. Lately every time she dreamed it was the same. She walked in a world covered in snow and a shadow figure watched her, followed her. She felt no fear towards the shadow figure. It seemed to be only curious. She ignored it as much as possible, dancing in the snow, but her curiosity got the best of her. She called out to him, questioned him.

It wasn't long before she realized there was not going to be a response from the shadow man. Kagome wasn't sure why she decided to trust the mysterious manin her dreams, but before long she was confiding in him. Not only did she get her problems off her chest, it felt as though he was really listening.

"Are you trapped here?" She'd asked. "In this weird dream world?"

Though she got no response, she knew the answer was "yes".

Kagome closed her eyes as she tried to remember as much of the dream as possible. She placed her hand over the amulet. It was after they had acquired the amulet that the dreams changed.

"I'll help you if I can… Tell me… How? Show me…" She tried to approach the shadow figure.

"You would help a man you can neither hear nor see?" a deep voice questioned. His tone implied that she was being naïve. Kagome's eyes widened.

"I hear you." she gasped.

Sesshoumaru stepped closer to the girl, he wanted to reach out and shake her. She was too carefree. When she'd begun to look directly at him, he'd realized something had changed. Ever since she got the amulet. It was as though she was being dragged further into this world. She wasn't afraid, with every step further into his world she became more excited. He tried to warn her, though part of him wanted to be selfish. Part of him wanted this girl to get dragged into this world with him. He wouldn't have to be alone anymore. The girl had talked over him, clearly unable to hear him, still he had not given up. Now that she could hear him, it was his chance. He would not be selfish. She did not deserve this torture.

"Then listen to me. You will not be able to save me from inside a dream. If you get pulled into this dream further you will not be able to get out." He warned. He sounded hurried and too serious.

"It is only a dream." Kagome assured him. Harsh laughter from the man.

"For you priestess, it is a dream. A winter wonderland as you call it. But for me it is a hundred years of torture. A hundred years of nothing but pain and hatred. Believe me when I tell you that you want no part of this." He said.

"A hundred years?" She asked. She tried to make herself see him. He sounded so close.

"Stop trying so hard, priestess. Can you not see that this cannot possibly end well? Every time you dream of this place, you dig a deeper hole for yourself. Every time you see or hear things clearer…" Sesshoumaru frowned. Part of him wanted her to see him. Would she be afraid? But of course not, she knew his brother after all. This girl was friends with demons, she was not the kind to be scared of them.

"I can't just let you stay here and suffer alone." Kagome frowned.

"You spoke of helping me before. Only you did not realize you spoke of me. If you are to help me, you must help me outside of dreams." Sesshoumaru advised her. The dream had ended and she'd found herself awake in the forest.

"Sesshoumaru." Kagome gasped, now realizing that all this time she had been dreaming of the prince. She took a moment to let it all sink in. Happiness filled her. She had imagined that she was going to have to find a way to save the mystery guy as well when all along she was just coming closer to saving the prince.

"Kagome? Did you just say my brother's name? What happened?" Inuyasha asked. The dog demon looked hurt and confused. Kagome simply smiled at him.

"Nothing. I just had a weird dream, that's all. We must be getting close."

a/n: Thanks for reading. I feel like things got rushed a bit, but I just really want to get things moving ^_^

_**~~Bell**_**aryuu**


	14. Hurt

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

a/n: Hope everyone's enjoying the story.

~~The Sleeping Prince~~

Chapter 13

Sesshoumaru found himself looking around for the girl. It seemed like days between each visit. He growled to himself. He shouldn't want her to come here again. He hoped that she was forcing herself not to dream of this place. For all he knew she was his only hope of being free of this place. And yet…. He scanned the area constantly, it was driving him mad. He longed to hear the sound of her laughter. He closed his eyes, willing himself to stop looking for her. Images of the girl flashed through his mind. Maybe he was wrong about her being the one to save him. Maybe this was just another way to drive him further into insanity.

To have hope, to become so obsessed… It would be so like Naraku to force this upon him. He thought of the girl's innocent smile. She seemed so pure and good. Could she really be one of Naraku's tricks? He was making himself angry thinking about this too much.

Kagome looked around at the village- or what remained of the village. As far as the eye could see everything was burned to the ground, destroyed. The ground was blackened, the trees long dead. Little demons ran amongst the rubble, pillaging… playing with each other. One of the demons ran by the group holding… a skull. The demons were playing with the bones of the humans that had died here. Kagome put her hand over her mouth unsure if she was going to be sick or cry. Whatever she was feeling, she pushed it down. Inuyasha ran after the demon that had come close. He took the skull and kicked the demon away. The dog demon stared down sadly at the skull.

"Help! They're taking the bones!" the demon cried out.

All the other demons stopped what they were doing and began to run towards the group. Miroku frowned and stepped closer to Kagome.

"They're all going to rush us." He warned.

"Let them come." Kagome sounded angry.

Inuyasha fought off the first couple demons but though they were small they fought hard. Kouga stayed a little further back to fight off those that rushed past Inuyasha. Miroku swung at the demons that got too close, in between purifying spells. Kagome held tightly to her staff, the blue gem glowed brightly. She followed Miroku's lead, finding that with the staff she was able to purify a few demons at a time.

"Momma!"

"Momma!" The demons began to call out.

The group continued fighting, but they began to look around for signs of other demons. There was nothing coming towards them, nowhere for anything to hide. Kagome met Miroku's eyes and he shrugged.

"Ha! Your momma isn't coming for you!" Inuyasha laughed.

A shriek from above had the group looking up to prove just how wrong Inuyasha had been. The demon looked like some mix between a gargoyle and a crocodile. The little demons began to cheer, still fighting. The big demon landed between Inuyasha and the others.

"You dare hurt my babies?!" The voice was a deep growl. It sounded strange coming from the big crocodile-like mouth.

Inuyasha made a run towards the demon, sword held ready to strike. The demon's tail lashed out and knocked the dog demon back into the ashes of a nearby house. Kouga ran at the demon, leaping up to attack it from the side. A scaly hand grabbed the wolf and held him up close to her face. Kouga struggled but refused to show fear. The crocodile mouth was huge with teeth like daggers. Inuyasha was up again, fighting off the smaller demons to make his way to the big one. The priest and priestess were trying to get rid of as many of the small demons as they could. If they could take care of all the little ones, then the demons could take out the big one. The demon mother shrieked again and turned her attention to the ones killing her babies. Inuyasha managed to stab the demon in her side before he was thrown off. He landed painfully on his back. His eyes widened and he tried to move quickly as Kouga was thrown at him. The wolf demon was a near miss. He landed on the ground beside Inuyasha.

"What the hell is that thing?" Kouga growled.

"It's about to be dead!" Inuyasha threatened. He ran back towards the demon with the wolf following.

"Kagome!" Miroku shouted. He had noticed the demon mother coming at them first. Their demon friends weren't going to get there in time. A clawed hand swiped out at Kagome. The priestess's scream was terrifying. Had the human girl been injured badly? The demon guys ran as fast as they could, using their most powerful attacks. They were both angry and worried. Kagome's side was bleeding, her kimono ripped. Kouga stared at her for a moment, unable to believe the priestess had really been hurt. This seemed like some horrible nightmare. Never before had the young girl been injured so seriously. Miroku rushed to her side, fighting off the small demons. His face looked determined. Kouga shook himself and began to tear at the bigger demon with all his might. She was going to be okay. There was no way Kagome was going to die. Miroku would help her.

Kagome fought off the smaller demons, wincing at the pain. How had she let this happen? Because she'd been stupid enough to take her eyes off the big demon. She had trusted that the demon men would be able to take the demon mother down on their own. Of course the mother would want to protect its babies. Kagome's left hand was wrapped around her right side, holding her wound shut as best as she could. There was so much blood, it was warm… Her right hand held her staff. Miroku reached her, concern in his eyes. His face seemed somehow blurry.

"Kagome? Kagome!" Miroku's voice was far away.

The priestess looked around, everything was moving in slow motion. She could feel the amulet burning at her chest, the power flowing over her. It wouldn't be enough. She was too careless. Miroku watched as the amulet on Kagome's chest began to glow. The bright blue light licked like flames across Kagome's skin until it enveloped her. The power was building, building until suddenly the blue light expanded, bursting out from the priestess. Demons were turned to ash in an instant, no time to cry out.

"Inuyasha! Kouga! Watch out!" Miroku cried out. He attempted to cast a protection spell on the demons.

Kouga managed to jump away from the demon mother, throwing himself as far away as possible. He landed on the ground hard, rolling until he landed in a heap of ash. Inuyasha's sword was buried deep in the demon mother's ribs. He couldn't seem to pull it back out. He looked towards the priest and saw the purifying light heading quickly towards him. The demon mother noticed it as well and tried to get away. Inuyasha frowned and tried to stab the sword in deeper instead of pulling it out. The demon woman screamed and fell over, crippled. Inuyasha smirked.

"You're not getting away!" he growled.

"Neither are you!" The demon mother laughed.

The blue light enveloped the female demon. And with her-

"Inuyasha!" Kouga and Miroku called out at the same time.

Kagome had fallen over, unconscious. Kouga ran towards where the demons had just been fighting. There was no sign of either demon.

Only dust.

a/n: Thank you for reading. Reviews are always welcome! ^_^

~~BellaRyuu~~


	15. So close

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

a/n: Thank you to everyone for your continued support.

~~The Sleeping Prince~~

Chapter 14

"_Hey Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice was soft, curious._

"_Hmm?" Kagome looked up at the demon. _

_The others were back at the camp sleeping. Kagome had ventured off to get some water from a nearby stream and ended up staring up at the stars. She lay on her back so she could admire the stars. Inuyasha had followed her, he sat nearby atop a boulder by the stream._

"_There aren't demons where you come from, right?" He asked._

"_Nope." she answered._

"_How come you aren't scared? You don't even get surprised by any of the weird stuff we come across. Isn't it strange for a human to be so accepting?" He asked._

"_I don't know. To me, all of this is… familiar. My dad told me stories of this place when I was growing up. As for being scared, of course I am. But being scared isn't going to keep me from doing what needs done." she said._

"_I think it's more than that. You're just … not normal." Inuyasha said. Kagome frowned at him._

"_In a good way, I mean. Special." Inuyasha said, embarrassed. _

"_Well thanks." Kagome smiled._

"_Ever since this…" Inuyasha touched the marking on his neck. "It's weird. It's like I understand you… I can always feel your mood, your aura is always touching me."_

_Kagome stared at him. She couldn't decide if she should apologize or not. Inuyasha was lost in thought. The dog demon didn't say anymore and Kagome was at a loss for words so the two sat in silence, simply staring up at the stars._

When Kagome regained consciousness she realized she was somewhere she'd never been before. She looked around at the small hut. Kouga turned to face her, as though he knew she'd just woken up. She managed a weak smile. The wolf demon walked over to sit by her cot.

"Where's everyone else?" She asked.

"Miroku is talking to the human that has been attending to your wound." Kouga explained.

Kagome touched her hand to her bandaged side. Memories of the fight began to return to her. She remembered the blinding blue light leaving her, rushing towards the demons. With a frown, the priestess looked around the hut again.

"And Inuyasha?"

Kouga avoided eye contact. He wasn't sure what to tell her. The dog demon appeared to have been purified by Kagome, but how could he tell her that?

"I… haven't seen him since the fight." Kouga told her nervously.

"You don't think…." Kagome winced and held her side.

"Relax, priestess. You need your rest if you want to get better." a young woman said.

"Kagome, this is Kikyo. She's been tending to your wound." Miroku explained.

Kagome met eyes with the other woman. She wanted to thank her, but found that she was getting extremely dizzy. The others exchanged words and the woman helped to ease Kagome back onto the cot. Kagome's vision swam.

"She's lost a lot of blood." Kikyo said sadly.

The snow fell heavily, landing on her face. Kagome blinked up at the white sky and sat up quickly. She appeared to have fallen asleep in the real world and woken up in the snow world. It didn't feel like a dream. Sesshoumaru was standing a couple feet away from her, frowning. Kagome stood, brushing the snow flakes from her kimono.

"You are bleeding." The demon sounded angry.

Kagome held her hand up so that she could see the blood for herself. That's right, she was injured. She had been caught unaware… Why was she here? She should be awake looking for Inuyasha. He had to be still out there somewhere. There was no way she had killed him. Her eyes began to well up with tears. Sesshoumaru could only stare at the human. He walked closer to her and she blinked at him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come here. It's just that, I think… Inuyasha… My power got out of control…" Kagome began to cry.

"You seem to be leaping to your own conclusions. Hurry and wake up. Leave this place. For all we know my brother is out there waiting on you, needing your help."

"You're right. I should…" she fell forward and Sesshoumaru caught her automatically.

"On the other hand, perhaps you should be more selfish. Send your other demon friend out to look for Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru said softly.

"You feel so cold." Was the only response Kagome managed.

With that Sesshoumaru was left alone in the world of snow. He looked down at his hands. He had somehow managed to touch the girl. She could hear him, nearly see him, and now they had touched. If the girl was sucked into this horrible with him it would be his fault. He should have tried to scare her away all this time, should have been mean to her. Instead he found it hard to stay away from her. He thought back to what the girl had said about Inuyasha. What if the other dog demon had really been purified? Kagome's crying face appeared in his mind. The human girl seemed to care for the half demon. Sesshoumaru pushed all thoughts of the girl as far out of his mind as he could.

"Kagome. Are you okay?" Miroku asked.

"Do you need more blankets?" Kouga asked.

"Blankets?" Kagome blinked at him.

"You said it was cold." He reminded her.

"Ahh, no. Thank you." Kagome told him.

"Demon!" voices outside were calling out. There were sounds of people running around.

"Priest! Sango might need your help!" Kikyo called. Miroku got up and ran outside. The female fighter stood ready to fight, blocking the way of the white haired demon. Miroku blinked and ran closer.

"Inuyasha?!" The priest called out. How could the demon still be alive?

"What the hell? You guys ran off without me!" Inuyasha accused.

"You were nowhere to be found!" Miroku exclaimed.

"Another demon friend? You've gotta be kidding me." Sango sighed.

"Excuse us, miss Sango." Miroku said with a smile.

The priest led the demon to the small house the group had been staying in while Kagome was getting better.

"Inuyasha! It is you!" Kagome exclaimed. Her eyes were filled with tears.

"Relax. I'm fine. You're worse off anyways, so hurry up and get better." Inuyasha said.

"How did you survive that?" Kouga asked, amazed.

"I think it was this." Inuyasha touched the markings on his neck.

"I was thrown pretty far away, but I managed to get my sword." He said with a smile. He patted the sword at his side.

"Ah, so the protection spell worked to protect him from your own purification. That's useful." Miroku said with a smile.

"Good thing you didn't remove it, huh." Kouga said. Kagome stared at the markings.

"Well, anyway, it helped me find you." Inuyasha shrugged.

"Huh? How's that?" Kouga asked.

"Her aura is etched into him… It's a sort of binding spell." Miroku explained.

So is that why it seems like those two are closer, Kouga wondered. Inuyasha looked sort of embarrassed. Kagome looked happy to see the demon. She tried to get up and everyone moved at once to keep her still. Miroku pushed the dog demon closer to the priestess.

"Since you hold a part of her aura, it could be beneficial for you to be by her side." The priest said.

Inuyasha kneeled by the bed, avoiding all eye contact. Miroku ushered everyone else from the room. Kouga went grudgingly. He looked back in time to see Kagome reaching out to touch the markings on Inuyasha's neck. The wolf demon felt sick and angry. He'd wanted the other demon to be okay, but he didn't like that Kagome seemed to prefer the dog demon.

Inuyasha stayed perfectly still while Kagome lightly touched the markings.

"I'm so glad you're okay." She whispered.

"Can't you heal yourself or something?" Inuyasha frowned.

"Maybe, now that you're here." Kagome said.

"What does that mean?"

"I couldn't concentrate." She said, closing her eyes.

Inuyasha stared down at the girl.

"What do you want me to d-" Kagome put her fingers to his lips and smiled when his eyes widened. Without another word Kagome took the demon's hand in hers and began to concentrate on trying to heal herself. Inuyasha stared at her in amazement. He could feel her powers rising, warming them both. He wondered silently if she was drawing on his energy as well. Not that he minded. He decided to sit quietly and let her do her thing.

When Kouga returned to check on Kagome he found that she'd fallen asleep and Inuyasha had fallen asleep on the floor beside her. With a frown, Kouga turned and went back outside to keep watch. Miroku was just returning to the village alongside the female demon fighter. Miroku was complimenting the woman, he couldn't keep his eyes off her. The priest sobered up a bit when his eyes met Kouga's.

"We've just returned from putting the previous village to rest." Miroku explained.

"No sign of any of those demons." Sango added. She left the men so they could talk.

"How is lady Kagome?" Miroku asked.

"Sleeping." Kouga responded shortly.

"Ah, could it be that you are jealous since Inuyasha has returned?" Miroku asked.

"Don't be stupid." Kouga frowned.

"I wondered what sort of relationship the three of you had." Miroku confessed.

"It's called friendship." Kouga told him.

"Yes, or could it be that the two powerful demons have become entranced by the beautiful priestess?" Miroku teased.

Kouga ignored him.

"Though of course it's not that simple. There is more to her than her beauty. For instance, her courage and kindness. She is indeed flawless. As pure and untouchable as an angel." Miroku said thoughtfully.

"You say that like you really believe she's an angel." Kouga pointed out.

"You don't?" Miroku asked softly, walking away.

Kouga sat lost in thought. The priestess was clearly from another world. There just wasn't anyone like her in this world. He shook his head, the priest was getting to him. Kagome was just the only decent human he'd ever met. Why was he even considering a human anyway? He could just imagine his family's reaction. There was definitely something about Kagome that made others want to be around her. Wherever she was from, she must have friends waiting for her. Maybe even a human guy. For some reason the thought of Kagome with a human wasn't as bad as her being with another demon. Kouga sighed. Why did he feel like competing with Inuyasha?

a/n: Thank you for reading! I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

~~BellaRyuu~~


	16. Doubt

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

a/n: Thank you to everyone for reading my story. Sorry as always for taking a while to update.

~~The Sleeping Prince~~

Chapter 15

Kagome and the others stood at the edge of the village waving their goodbyes to Sango. The human healer had convinced the group that she should accompany them. Sango wanted to go with them but she didn't want to abandon the village. Kikyo brought along a pack of supplies, which Inuyasha offered to carry. Miroku seemed pretty disappointed that he had to part ways with the beautiful demon hunter. He promised to return to visit her but she rolled her eyes at him.

They were getting close to the castle. It could be seen looming in the distance. The demonic energy surrounding the castle made the air appear thick and black. Kagome held her staff tight, feeling more nervous and scared than she had before. Part of her refused to believe that this was all real. Even after all this time. It wasn't until she could see the castle for herself that it really hit her. What if she couldn't save the prince? Naraku had to know that they were coming. He would surely be waiting to ambush them within the castle. Why had the evil demon not shown himself to the group before now? Clearly he didn't see them as a threat. Kagome held her hand over her heart wishing she could be braver, more confident.

Feeling eyes on her, Kagome turned to see Kouga watching her with a worried look on his face. Kagome managed to force a smile, trying to convince him that she was alright. The wolf demon reached over to rest his hand comfortingly on her shoulder. Instead of cheering up the priestess's eyes filled with tears. Kouga stopped walking and took the priestess by the shoulders, looking into her eyes with intense concern. The others stopped and looked on in confusion.

"Is everything alright?" Miroku asked.

"I'm fine." Kagome said shakily.

"Perhaps we should take a short break?" Kikyo offered. The two women made eye contact.

"Yea, let's find something to eat." Inuyasha agreed. He looked pointedly at Kouga.

The wolf frowned at the other demon for a moment before looking back to Kagome. The priestess avoided eye contact. With a sigh, he let go of her and turned to join Inuyasha. Miroku and Kikyo walked the young woman over to a soft grassy patch under the trees. A few tears escaped the priestess's eyes. Kikyo lightly touched the girl's back comfortingly.

"What is wrong, priestess?" She asked.

"I feel like it's all been a dream… and now it's just too real." Kagome cried.

"Yes, we are getting close to what could be a big showdown." Miroku agreed.

"What if… What if I can't…?" The girl stared at the priest.

"You're the most powerful priestess I've ever met and you're new to all this. You have great potential, Kagome. If you can't do this I don't know who can." He said.

"It's too much, Miroku. Everyone is depending on me. And if I can't help defeat this Naraku guy I won't be able to return home." She cried.

"Is that so bad? I know you must miss your family, but you have friends that will help you here." Kikyo told her.

"Do you really think that everyone will stay with me if I fail?" Kagome asked.

"Don't be ridiculous. How little do you think of us?" Miroku asked, offended.

"Priestess, I barely know you and already I feel some connection to you. I can only imagine what it must be like for the ones who you have traveled with for many days." Kikyo told her. Kagome stared at her, she met Miroku's eyes.

"I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, Miroku. I only mean that everyone has their own lives to go back to." Kagome apologized.

"Lady Kikyo and I both have our separate villages to protect, sure. But do you really think the other two will simply leave you?" He asked. Kagome thought about it for a moment.

"I guess I haven't really thought about it. Before today I never had much doubt. I only thought about what would happen after we succeeded." She confessed.

"That is a good way to think." Kikyo smiled.

"Now that it has come up… Do you think that you will be able to return here again after you go back home?" Miroku asked. Kagome bit her lip.

"I hope so. I don't want my mom to worry too much. I want to return home as soon as possible to explain everything to her, then come back to search for my dad." She told them.

"What about after you find your father?" Kikyo pressed.

"You're just gonna leave, aren't you?" Inuyasha asked. The others looked up at him in surprise.

"I have to go home, Inuyasha." Kagome told him. She looked at the other woman thoughtfully. Had Kikyo known the demon men had returned? She didn't look very surprised.

"So we're all just going to split up and go our separate ways after this?" Kouga asked.

"What did you think was going to happen?" Inuyasha asked angrily.

The other demon refused to answer. The group worked together to prepare the meal and sat in silence eating the freshly cooked boar meat. Kagome stole glances at the others, unsure of what to say. Had they really expected her to stay in this strange world? Honestly, if it wasn't for her mother Kagome would be tempted to stay here. She'd never met such interesting people. In this world she was important, powerful. When she returned back home she would be returning to her oh so normal life. She'd had friends back home, but now that she'd met friends here the people back home seemed more like acquaintances. Could she really leave this world and never look back?

"Are you feeling better now?" Inuyasha asked grumpily.

"I think so. Whatever happens… I'll do my best. And if I'm not the one to break this curse, I'll stay to help find someone who can." Kagome said.

"What? _**That's **_what you were worried about?" Inuyasha frowned.

"I thought you were pretty confident that you were the one. We all believe in you." Kouga added.

"I believed it, but what if I was wrong? It's all too real now. We're so close…" Kagome told them.

"Oh I get it. You're upset because you thought everything would be easy and you could just get this over with and go back home." Inuyasha frowned.

"I don't expect anything to be easy. It's not just about going back home."

"Sure it isn't. I bet you can't wait to be rid of us." Inuyasha argued.

"What? It's not like that." Kagome tried to assure him.

"You're just using us to make it easier on yourself. To speed things up."

"I wouldn't do that. Most of you wanted to come with me. I didn't force this upon anyone…" She stared at Inuyasha, eyes widening and filling with hurt.

"Except you. I begged you to come with me. I didn't realize you would feel as though I was forcing you. All I wanted was to help. I'm not doing any of this for me. There are times when I forget about home, about my family. This is beyond them, it's more important to save this world. I will stay until this is settled. Even if I could return home. I am not some selfish pathetic human. I thought you of all people would know that." Kagome began to cry, so she got up and ran off to be alone.

The others stared at Inuyasha accusingly. He felt so confused. Why did he feel like arguing so much? He was being a real asshole. Miroku took a deep breath and stood.

"Of course. Because we are getting so close to the castle, our emotions are being toyed with." He said.

"I thought it was weird for Kagome to be so doubtful suddenly." Kouga added.

"Did you?" Inuyasha snapped.

"I don't feel affected. Perhaps it isn't toying with all of us." Kikyo said softly.

"I get it. Naraku is aiming to fill Kagome with doubt. That only makes me more confident that she is the one." Kouga said. Kikyo nodded.

"But what about Inuyasha?" Kikyo asked.

"His problem has always been his emotions. Or so I hear." Miroku said. Inuyasha frowned harder.

"Inuyasha you must go work things out with Kagome. We'll wait here for you." Kikyo said.

Kouga frowned but didn't argue. The dog demon stared at the others for a moment, considered arguing, but ran off in the direction of the priestess's scent. When he found her she was sitting with her back against a tree staring down at her staff.

"The only thing I can think about is letting everyone down." Kagome confessed.

"You have nothing to worry about. Besides, whatever you're feeling right now… Naraku is messing with us." Inuyasha told her. He kneeled down in front of her, staring at the face that had become so familiar to him.

"Really?" She asked. He nodded.

Kagome sat the staff aside and reached out to the demon. He stared at her in confusion for a moment then slowly took her hand. His hand was warm and the moment they were connected she could feel his faith in her. He really believed that she could free his brother. She smiled at him, but the smile faltered as she remembered the fight they'd had moments ago. Before she could let go or say anything Inuyasha spoke up.

"I'm sorry." He blurted out. "For, you know, what I said…"

"It's like you said, we're being messed with." Kagome said.

The two of them headed back to join up with the others. Upon their return they realized that Sango had joined the others. The demon fighter was having her injuries treated by Kikyo. Miroku looked on with a worried expression.

"What happened?" Kagome gasped.

"Our village was attacked, shortly after you guys left." Sango explained.

"The village was destroyed. The few survivors escaped to find relatives that live elsewhere." Kikyo added.

"Naraku sent his minions to teach us a lesson." Sango frowned.

"Teach us a lesson? He has only made me more determined to see his defeat. I will not only free Lord Sesshoumaru, I will help him to defeat this evil man and wipe out every trace of his corruption." Kagome's amulet glowed brightly, her eyes glowing with the same blue light.

"_Lord_ Sesshoumaru?" Miroku whispered, glancing at Inuyasha. The dog demon shrugged.

"I guess he _is_ going to be king soon." Inuyasha whispered back.

"Do her eyes always glow blue?" Kikyo asked.

"Only when she's pissed." Kouga explained.

Miroku opened his mouth to correct the demon, but realized there was a lot of truth in what the demon said.

a/n: Thank you for reading. Please continue. J


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